Monetary Policy
US economy still stuck in doldrums
US - The US economy is struggling to break out of the doldrums, with widespread sluggishness infecting retail sales, according to a regular survey of business conditions by the Federal Reserve.
Lobby group warns UK on delaying euro entry
UK - Eight out of the 10 states poised to join the European Union could be ready for euro membership by 2007, increasing the risk that the UK will be isolated unless it joins soon, according to Britain in Europe.
Canada's c bank warns of spike in inflation
CANADA - The Bank of Canada said Wednesday economic growth will be lower than expected in the short term but inflation could still double the bank's target by year-end, as Canada continues to be pulled in opposite directions by uncertain global markets…
Polish rate cut may be last - Balcerowicz
POLAND - Chairman of the Polish National Bank [NBP] Leszek Balcerowicz said on Thursday that October's interest rate reduction, that had surprised the market, did not have to mean another reduction.
Banks can park funds in infrastructure projects
ARTICLE - If the brief for a central bank is to guarantee liquidity in a milieu of low inflation and high forex reserves, the RBI can be said to have done more than its bit. On the supply side, RBI has been able to manage a dipping interest regime over…
Hayami pans adoption of inflation target for Japan
JAPAN - Bank of Japan Gov. Masaru Hayami on Thursday rejected the notion of adopting an inflation target as a means of helping to raise prices and fight deflation. "There is no data to support the procedure and the way to achieve it," Hayami told a…
Prime Minister responds to Finland's Vanhala
FINLAND - Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen (Soc. Dem.) has responded to recent criticism of Finland's incomes agreement policy voiced by Matti Vanhala, Governor of the Bank of Finland.
ECB Working Paper Series
RESEARCH - 'Should central banks really be flexible?', by Hans Peter Gruner, October 2002. The paper looks at a model where risk averse trade unions interact with a central bank. Gruner shows that central bank flexibility is not necessarily desirable…
Federal Reserve Board Press Release, 22 October
PRESS RELEASE - The Federal Reserve Board, along with the Federal Reserve Banks of Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and San Francisco, will sponsor a conference this fall to explore ways to encourage banking opportunities in tribal communities.
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Minutes
MINUTES - Minutes of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee Meeting released on 23 October for the meeting of 9 and 10 October 2002. The nine MPC members voted on a proposal to maintain the repo rate at 4.0%. Six voted in favour of this, however…
Mboweni on monetary policy making in South Africa
SPEECH - In the speech 'Monetary Policy Making in South Africa' made on 8 October, Tito Mboweni of the South African Reserve Bank said that inflation has risen from 4 per cent a year ago to 11.6 per cent in August this year. The steep depreciation in the…
Moskow with a perspective on the current economy
SPEECH - In the speech 'A Perspective on the Current Economy' made on 17 October, Michael Moskow of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said that although the near term poses some uncertainties, the long-term prospects for the US economy are remain good…
BIS consolidated banking statistics
REPORT - The BIS today released consolidated banking statistics for the Second Quarter 2002. These statistics provide an insight into the nature and extent of banks' foreign exposures, as well as supplementary information about countries' external…
Modest growth in slow recovery - Fed's Poole
US - St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President William Poole said on Wednesday the U.S. economy is growing modestly as it recovers slowly from recession.
Poland surprises market with rate cut
POLAND - Poland's central bank took markets by surprise on Wednesday with a half-point cut in interest rates, its third policy easing in as many months.
Tito Mboweni urges scrutiny of inflation basket
SOUTH AFRICA - Central bank governor Tito Mboweni has urged academics to analyse the country's inflation targets, as part of a challenge to make research institutions become more relevant to public policy.
Saudi Arabia urged to speed up economic reform
SAUDI ARABIA - The International Monetary Fund has called for the acceleration of economic reforms in Saudi Arabia, warning that inaction would swell an already large public debt, put pressure on public finances and discourage investment.
RBI forms panel to review WMA scheme
INDIA - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will review the ways and means advances (WMA) scheme for states in its entirety. The central bank has constituted an advisory committee for the purpose under the chairmanship of C Ramachandran, ex-expenditure…
Bomb scare at African fin ministers cocktail party
SOUTH AFRICA - Panic characterised the glittery cocktail party for the African finance ministers and central bank governors meeting following a hoax that a bomb had been planted at the Sandton Convention Centre on Sunday evening.
Bergo on assessing financial stability
SPEECH - In the speech 'Using Financial Soundness Indicators to Assess Financial Stability' made on 17 September, Jarle Bergo of Norges Bank said Norges Bank's Financial Stability Reports provide a suitable framework for dialogue with the financial…
McDonough on financial resilience
SPEECH - In the speech 'Promoting Financial Resilience' made on 17 October, William J. McDonough of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said a general agreement exists that in order for countries to enjoy sustained and stable growth, a sound and stable…
Trichet on international financial architecture
SPEECH - In the speech 'The international financial architecture' made on 30 September, Jean-Claude Trichet of the Banque de France discussed the long list of financial crises emerging market economies have gone through in the last two decades. Against…
ECB Working Paper Series
RESEARCH - 'Monetary policy and the zero bound to interest rates: a review', by Tony Yates, October 2002. The paper reviews the literature on what the zero bound to nominal interest rates implies for the conduct of monetary policy. A situation familiar…
Federal Reserve Board Discussion Paper
RESEARCH - 'Monetary Union, Price Level Convergence, and Inflation: How Close is Europe to the United States?' by John H. Rogers, published 21 October. In the article the author examines the decline in European price level dispersion and whether this…